Back to 2 Kings 3

2 Kings 3:21-24

Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, young and old, and stood on the border. They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!”

When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land attacking the Moabites.

World English Bible · Public Domain
Show the surrounding paragraph

2 Kings 3:21-24 sits inside this longer paragraph.

Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, young and old, and stood on the border. They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!”

When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land attacking the Moabites. They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone, and filled it. They also stopped all the springs of water, and cut down all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth all they left was its stones; however the men armed with slings went around it, and attacked it. When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew a sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. Then he took his oldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

Read all of 2 Kings 3 →

Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, young and old, and stood on the border.

    They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.

    They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!”

    When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land attacking the Moabites.

  • KJV King James Version

    And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.

    And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:

    And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

    And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.

Show all 3 translations
  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood on the border.

    And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water some way off as red as blood;

    and they said: 'This is blood: the kings have surely fought together, and they have smitten each man his fellow; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.'

    And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them. And they smote the land, even Moab, mightily.

View more translations →

Cross-references (11)

  • Exodus 15:9 (v23) The enemy said, ‘I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the plunder. My desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword. My…
  • Joshua 8:20-22 (v24) When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee…
  • Judges 5:30 (v23) ‘Have they not found, have they not divided the plunder? A lady, two ladies to every man; to Sisera a plunder of dyed garments, a plunder…
  • Judges 20:40-46 (v24) But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and behold, the whole city…
  • 1 Kings 20:11 (v21) The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armor brag like he who takes it off.’ ”
Show all 11 cross-references
  • 2 Kings 6:18-20 (v23) When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness…
  • 2 Kings 7:6 (v23) For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians to hear the sound of chariots, and the sound of horses, even the noise of a great army; and…
  • 2 Chronicles 20:25 (v23) When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and precious…
  • Isaiah 10:14 (v23) My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned, I have gathered all the earth. There…
  • Ephesians 6:14 (v21) Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:3-4 (v24) For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they…

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (17 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv21, 23, 24 Hebrew, to gird himself with a girdle.

Hebrew, to gird himself with a girdle.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv21–24 2Ki 3:21 And when all the Moabites heard that…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv21–24 To put on armour, Heb. to gird on a…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv21–24 And when they came to the camp of Israel,....…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v21 The border - Of their country, to defend the…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv22–23 Verse 22. Saw the water on the other side…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv21, 22, 24 2Ki 3:21. All that were able to put on…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv21, 23 And stood in the border - On the north…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv21, 22, 24 Upon them. Hebrew, "and upward," both soldiers and those…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv22–23 22. Saw the water… red as blood — “As…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv21–24 21. And [R.V. Now] when all the Moabites heard]…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv21–24 (21) And when . . . heard . .…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv21–24 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings…
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v21 2Ki_3:23. This is blood—For the rancour between the kings…
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v21 The Defeat of Moab
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv21, 24 This word is used here to mark a break…
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v24 3:24-25 The army of Israel . . . destroyed…
Share